As the economy makes a slow and painful recovery, many workers are finding that a shift toward a field with a high demand for new labor is the key to establishing a lasting and secure career. Here are just a few fields that are struggling to fill positions:

1. Medicine

Like law, medicine is perceived to be one of the most prestigious fields to enter for hardworking and talented workers. Unlike the legal field, however, medicine has an active shortage in many of its specialties, particularly in areas where doctors are needed most such as family care practice or rural community care.

2. Software Engineering

An degree in software engineering (and sometimes less; industry titans Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, and Mark Zuckerberg never completed their college degrees) is quickly becoming the golden ticket that a law degree may once have been before the legal market became sated. Software engineering jobs are not just plentiful, they are also well-paid and an elite education is not necessary to attain them. A computer science degree from a good school can earn graduates jobs with even the best companies, where some industries only give out good jobs to the very best and brightest graduating from only the most prestigious of schools.

3. Oil

Oil field jobs pay well because they often take place out of cities and sometimes in difficult conditions; however, the benefits of an oil industry job are often quite immense. Workers can expect salaries usually accorded doctors and other high-brow positions. Oil industry laborers can get ample freedom to take time off and relax, also. For many workers in the new economy, an oil industry post is a lifeline that pays high dividends for hard work and a tough disposition.

4. Nursing

Nurses have one of the most difficult but rewarding jobs in the world. They are there for patients when patients are at their most needy, and nurses often work long hours. However, for many people, nursing is not so much a career as it is a calling. Because of its demanding nature and turnover, the nursing field is very much in need of more talented and dedicated workers.

5. Graphic Design

As a career, graphic design not only pays well, it rewards talent in ways that other industries do not. If you have a good eye for patterns and beauty or enjoy analyzing how paintings or drawings are constructed, graphic design may be a field that you find immensely rewarding. Art and ad agencies exist the world over and can offer dynamic and interesting careers to the right candidates. It is, however, a very subjective field where it can take some time to find a place where your work fits the bill. That said, there doesn’t seem to be a shortage of positions in this field.

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